Early Childhood Education and Family Studies

The Early Childhood Education and Family Studies (ECE&FS) department prepares you for State Certification in Early Childhood Education. Courses can be used to fulfill training and education requirements for family child care providers and child care teachers in Oregon.

Our program is designed to accommodate both part-time and full-time students.

EEFS courses are offered every other year.

ECE&FS Program Requirements

Receive a grade of "C" or better in every required early education class in order to receive a certificate or degree

Classes

Introduces practitioners to the major tenets of the Early Childhood Education and Family Studies profession with emphasis on: child growth and development; various roles of professionals in the field; bidirectional relationships between child/family; and community, environmental, and cultural influences on child development. Introduces theory and research supporting alignment with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)standards for professional development.Audit available.

Focuses on age-appropriate guidance and observations techniques for individual children six week to age 10 years. Consciously observing children and applying developmentally appropriate principles of guidance based on child development theory and research helping early childhood professionals shift their focus from correcting or controlling behavior to providing satisfying, joyful experiences and relationships that build a child’s inner resources, providing a kind of immunity from the ill effects of life’s challenges. Audit available.

Explores the creation ofphysical and social environments and curriculum for children six weeks through age ten. Covers theories and relationships between physical and social space, activities, experiences, and materials. Introduces the use of developmentally and culturally appropriate practices in planning, selecting, and evaluating environments and curriculum for young children. Audit available.

Demonstrates the knowledge of child development and learning, as well as content knowledge, both in terms of academic disciplines and interdisciplinary integration. Explores the use of developmentally and culturally appropriate practices in creating physical and social environments and curriculum for children six weeks to ten years. Employs theories of play and early care and education to plan and implement curriculum and environments for children. Includes students planning, implementation, and evaluation of environments and curriculum for young children. Prerequisite: ECE 122. Audit available.

Develops awareness of how personal experiences, belief systems, and values impact work with children and families. Examines the impact of cultural, linguistic, and class identities and histories on inter-relationships in diverse populations. Applies techniques for incorporating other peoples histories, values and belief systems into child-and-family-centered practices. Audit available.

Reviews skills necessary for supporting the total development of children, ages 6 weeks to 6 years, focusing on the role of the teacher in implementing a developmental program of early childhood education in two interdependent components: seminar and practicum. Prerequisites: ECE 120, ECE 121. Corequisite: ECE 133.

Reviews skills necessary for supporting the total development of children, ages 6 weeks to 6 years, focusing on the role of the teacher in implementing a developmental program of early childhood education in two interdependent components: seminar and practicum. Prerequisite: ECE 130A. Corequisite: ECE 134.

Reviews skills necessary for supporting the total development of children, ages 6 weeks to 6 years, focusing on the role of the teacher in implementing a developmental program of early childhood education in two interdependent components: seminar and practicum. Prerequisite: ECE 130B. Corequisite: ECE 135.

Covers developing beginning level skills for working with children ages birth - 5 in a group setting. Includes the use of developmentally appropriate methods in recognizing and providing safe, responsive, and sanitary environments; using beginning-level guidance strategies; and acclimating to the field of early education. Prerequisites: ECE 120, ECE 121, WR 90 (or equivalent placement score). Corequisites: ECE 130A. Audit available.

Covers development of basic intermediate level skills to work with children ages birth – 5 in a group setting. Includes the use of developmentally appropriate methods to support guidance and conflict resolution; schedule and routine planning; fundamental curriculum development; and environmental modification. Prerequisites: ECE 133, ECE122. Corequisite: ECE 130B. Recommended: HE 262.

Covers the development of advanced intermediate level skills to work with children ages birth – 5 in a group setting. Includes the use of developmentally and culturally appropriate methods to support guidance and conflict resolution; development, implementation, and evaluation of environments and curriculum; and facilitation of classroom management. Prerequisites: ECE 134, ECE 123. Corequisites: ECE 130C Recommended: ECE 124, HEC 201.

Explores the benefits and addresses the challenges of creating quality environments and programming for children of mixed ages. Multi-age early childhood settings can include children from infancy through elementary school age. Audit available.

Explores the developmental and programmatic benefits of field trips in early childhood programs. Demonstrates how field trips can buildon child interests and contribute to children's developing knowledge of the world. Explores field trip possibilities, develops field trip protocols, and problem-solves common field trip issues. Audit available.

Cooking with kids can do it all! Cooking can help young children learn language and literacy, math, science, cooperation, and healthy eating habits. Learn to create and share cooking experiences with young children in a way that maximizes child participation and developmental opportunities and minimizes the potential for chaos. Audit available.

Explores the many benefits, barriers and role of block play and wood working experiences for young children. Emphasis on design, implementation, evaluation and solutions to possible barriers and issues for children of varying ages (2 years to school age) and abilities. Audit available.

Examines techniques for observing and recording behavior and keeping records as used in the care and education of infants through five-year-olds. Focuses on observation and guidance techniques for children and groups of children in addressing challenging behaviors and issues in early childhood environments, families and their community. Covers the teacher’s role and caregiver's role in using observation to promote development, including self-development. Prerequisites: WR 115 and ECE 121.Audit available.

Develops awareness of cultural and ethnic issues as they relate to the early childhood classroom teacher. Focuses on ethnocentrism, racism and discrimination. Includes techniques for developing multi-cultural, anti-bias curriculum. Prerequisite: ECE 124. Audit available.

Become acquainted with areas of special needs in children from birth through six years of age. Emphasis is on inclusion of children in early childhood settings. Explore services available to children and their families. Child development helpful. Audit available.

Overview of the development of musical and motor skills in children from birth to age 6, learn and develop a variety of music and movement activities, techniques and materials appropriate for them. Audit available.

Studies various tasks and responsibilities of program administration. Topics include licensing, program planning, organization, financial management, parent and community relationships, and personnel management. Prior ECE course work and experience working with children in groups is highly recommended. Audit available.

Refine skills necessary for supporting the total development of children, ages 6 weeks to 6 years, in a group setting and to integrate child development theory and practice in two interdependent components: seminar and field work experience. Department permission required. Prerequisite: Certificate level courses plus WR 121, HEC 226, ECE 221. Corequisite: ECE 264.

Refines skills necessary for supporting the total development of children, ages 6 weeks to 6 years, in a group setting and to integrate child development theory and practice in two interdependent components: seminar and field work experience. Department permission required. Prerequisites: ECE 260A. Corequisites: ECE 265.

Introduces advanced skills necessary to work with children birth - 5 in a community field placement setting. Includes developmental theory, developmentally and culturally appropriate practices, and individualized methods to support guidance and conflict resolution. Covers the evaluation of environments and curriculum, building family and community relationships, and professionalism. Department permission. Prerequisite: ECE 135, HEC 226, ECE 221, WR 121, HE 112. Corequisites: ECE 260A, ECE 200, ECE 234. Audit available.

Covers advanced level skills to work with children birth – 5 in a community field placement setting. Includes developmental theory, developmentally and culturally appropriate practices, and individually responsive methods to support guidance and conflict resolution. Covers the development, implementation, and evaluation of environments and curriculum, classroom management, family and community relationships, professional frameworks and resources, and professionalism. Department permission. Prerequisite: ECE 264. Corequisite: ECE 260B. Recommended: ECE 224, ECE 236.

Identifies the influences on children and their families which impact child and family behaviors, values, attitudes, beliefs, and morals. Includes: parenting patterns; cultural, religious and socioeconomic influences; peer, school, media impacts; family development; community ecology; special needs children; prejudice; and public policy. Audit available.

Evaluates basic theories, research and principles of physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional development of children from the prenatal period through adolescence. Includes observation and classroom processes. Prerequisites: WR 115, RD 115 and MTH 20 or equivalent placement test scores. Audit available.